Harry Hubris and How NOT to run your Practice
Harry Hubris was, and probably still is, the classic example of how not to run a business. I first met Harry about 5 years ago at a conference where I was speaking after which Harry asked me if I...
Why have they taken my money back!
Some insurance companies decline to accept invoices that are sent more than six months after the consultation or surgical episode. Fair enough. They should have been invoiced. BUT… A statement was...
Not everything is covered by the insurance company
It is dangerous for an insured patient to assume his insurance covers everything. Often it does not. This will impact on how much you get paid. Short term issues Private medical insurance is...
Where do you find a CCSD code?
A question asked at the recent presentation. Insurance companies use medical coding to identify and detail a medical procedure. For example: if you are an Orthopaedic surgeon you will understand...
Courtesy Patients. A Courtesy to Whom?
Sometimes a private consultant surgeon may decide he or she does not actually wish to charge the patient. There are numerous reasons for taking such a position; all equally valid. For example, the...
Does your insurance company make mistakes?
One of my Orthopaedic surgeons saw a patient in clinic last week for a follow-up consultation. The follow-up was after the surgical episode which took place about three weeks earlier. Declined I was...
Does Your Practice Have a Plan?
I was watching the youngsters playing football over the park the other day. It reminded me of how precisely not to resolve an issue and neither score a goal or resolve a problem. All Together...
Don’t manage your time and you won’t manage your money either
Recently I helped a medical secretary understand the noble art of medical invoicing. Having your medical secretary handling medical invoicing isn't something I'd recommend though for a number of...
DNA Patients & Cancelled Appointments
This is a topic that comes up frequently when I meet Private Consultant Surgeons. Indeed, the point was touched upon last year in a blog regarding asking self-funding patients to pay in advance....
Don’t you like money or something?
Take, for example, a patient who requires an injection which may be performed at a consultation. Thus you raise an invoice for, as an example, £185 [£90 for the consultation and £95 for the...
The Insurance Company Is NOT Responsible
A question, which was asked recently at a private practice seminar MHM were presenting at. Interestingly the question was asked by a consultant surgeon who had started his/her private practice two...
Tell Me How Much It Is Please?
Flip the question on its head. WOULD YOU BUY SOMETHING WITHOUT KNOWING HOW MUCH IT COST? Would you pass over your debit card details without knowing how much is going to be charged to it? 99.9% of...